Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos talks with starting pitcher Ross Ohlendorf (43) after pitching coach Steve McCatty leaves the mound during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, in Washington. / AP

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Fort Myers City Manager Bill Mitchell said the Washington Nationals baseball team wants to start playing at City of Palms Park in 2015, but Lee County and team officials weren’t so certain about a three-way deal with a private developer.

In a memorandum sent to City Council members Thursday, Mitchell writes the Nationals want control of the county-owned stadium given to a private developer, Rockford Construction.

The ball club expects an agreement between Lee County and Rockford Construction by the end of the year, according to Mitchell’s memorandum.

“The Washington Nationals wish to begin holding spring practice at City of Palms Park by spring of 2015,” Mitchell writes.

Mitchell’s memorandum summarizes a Monday meeting with the team, county and Rockford representatives. Officials flew to Washington for the meeting, as part of their latest effort to entice the Nationals to train at the vacant venue.

County Manager Roger Desjarlais, who attended the meeting, said he doesn’t see turning over control of the park to Rockford at this point.

“The Nationals would love to be in a ballpark by 2015, whether it’s this one or another one, I can’t say,” Desjarlais said. “But there’s nothing imminent about them moving to Fort Myers.”

Under the proposal, Rockford would pay to expand City of Palms Park. City officials could offer property and tax incentives to Rockford. The company could then redevelop the working-class neighborhood with multifamily homes, bars and restaurants.

After receiving a copy of Mitchell’s memorandum, Nationals spokesman John Dever said the team does not comment on business plans.

“We are in the process of finding the best long-term options for a spring training and player development facility and public comment would be premature and unfair to that process.”

Brevard County officials are trying to keep the Nationals in town, offering the team $29 million in upgrades to Space Coast Stadium, Florida Today reports.

Talks between local officials and the Nationals started heating up again last month after Osceola County voted against building a spring training facility that could have housed the team.

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Rockford’s local head of operations, Paul Roberts, did not return calls Friday.

Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson said he’s optimistic.

“I think the Nationals are encouraged and happily waiting for a proposal and it’ll hopefully meet their needs,” Henderson said. “I think the clear message is if we can get the park organized in modern ways, they’re interested in coming here.”

Company and team officials will need to work out upgrades and their cost, Desjarlais said.

Nationals officials demanded $36.6 million in improvement from Lee County, concluding a yearlong negotiation that started in February 2012 and stalled about a year later.

Lee’s tourist taxes were stretched to their max recently by deals that built a new stadium for the Boston Red Sox and expanded Hammond Stadium for the Minnesota Twins.

Tourist tax debt from those two deals totaled $228 million, as commissioners took 20 percent of funds dedicated to improving beaches and pledged them to repay bonds for the Red Sox deal.

Property tax supported funds for parks will pick up an additional $140,000 a year for three maintenance workers at Hammond Stadium. Officials shifted their salaries from tourist tax budgets in order to borrow money for Twins’ improvements that just got underway.

Brevard County officials weren’t willing to pay for routine maintenance as part of their $29 million offer, Florida Today reports. Lee’s parks department, which is supported by property taxes, spends $5.4 million a year on stadium upkeep, parks officials said.

Desjarlais said it’s too soon to tell who will pay for increased maintenance costs if the Nationals move in. The price tag of that upkeep, he said, will depend on the extent to which Rockford expands facilities for the Nationals.

Those details would be spelled out in a lease agreement between the Nationals and county officials, Desjarlais said regarding his knowledge of the deal’s workings. Mitchell’s memorandum calls for a lease agreement between the Nationals and Rockford Construction.

Commissioner Frank Mann said he doesn’t know whether a contract could be worked out in the next three and a half months. He’s keeping his fingers crossed.

“If it were to happen, that would certainly be good news in terms of economic development,” Mann said. “It would be truly exciting and make this the only region in America with three teams that train here; that would be big tourism dollars.”